His caring side
by AniZH
Summary: Jade's mother is out of town and Jade gets sick. When her father sees her like that, he orders her to stay at his apartment to rest. After work, he not only finds Jade at his home but also Beck.


Hi!  
So this is a suggestion I got after my one shot 'Her caring side' as a guest review. Thank you for the suggestion! I immediately got on it and hope that you and everyone else will like it!  
Have fun reading!

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Jade's mother is gone on vacation for a week with her new boyfriend.

Christopher, Jade's father, doesn't think that that's right, as she left her children behind and it's also a school week. Her little son stays with his father while she allowed Jade to stay home alone. She explained on the phone that Jade didn't feel like sleeping over at her father's and wanted to stay home alone and that she wanted to try that. At least she told Jade to check in with her father once a day.

Jade's mother left on Saturday and Jade only called on Sunday, instead of coming by, saying that she was alright. Her father insisted on coming over but she said she didn't feel like it and that he was free to call in later again to make sure she wasn't throwing a party if that's what he was afraid of. If he could bring her to school the next morning, she could take the bus to his place before though.

He agreed to that before any real fighting could ensue and she wouldn't agree to come by at all anymore.

Jade was extremely difficult with her fifteen years of age. He didn't know how to handle her. He tries. He tries to do good by her but he doesn't fully know how.

But at least she does as she promises whenever she and her father agree on something. On Monday morning, the doorbell rings. Stephanie, Christopher's wife, goes to open the door and shortly after, Jade walks far enough inside for Christopher, who's seated at the table between kitchen and living room to drink his coffee and read the paper, to see her.

He almost drops his paper upon seeing her. Her whole face seems kind of swollen at first. Then he realizes that it's just the eyes and the nose. Both are red and swollen. She also has a tissue in her hand that she uses that very same moment.

Okay. Her voice sounded weird yesterday. Was she already starting to get sick then and is that why she didn't want to come over? In hope she would get better with a day of rest? She does like to go to school. Especially since she's at that Hollywood Arts school. Christopher also doesn't like that but she and her mother put their foot down and here they are with her off to a school that encourages her to persue the arts, instead of focusing on the important subjects.

"You're sick," he notices.

"Oh, wow, really?" Jade shoots back without hesitation.

That's how too many of their conversations start. They're both used to it by now.

He stands up, putting the paper down while Stephanie comes to a halt next to Jade, also looking at her in worry.

"You're not going to school like this," he decides.

She looks at him with as much of a glare as she can muster in her sick state: "Where else am I supposed to go?"

"Into bed," her father swiftly answers, walking up to her.

She rolls her eyes. "I'm fine."

"You're not," he answers. "You're staying here."

"What?" Jade responds in an almost threatening manner.

Christopher won't have that now. "You're staying here. In the guest room. Go on."

Jade looks at him defiantely. But he's noticing that she isn't really fighting him. She knows how to fight him. She always gets her way because she exactly knows what to say or do to get her way. The thing is... she usually also knows when to stop and she knows all the points she needs to consider in her decisions.

And as much as she hates anyone telling her what to do and apparently also staying at her father's place... she knows that this is the best, that she's truly sick and needs someone to look after her.

"Jade," he starts another time, wanting to give her the last push.

But it's already done. "Fine," she interrupts him and stalks off to the guest room.

He and Stephanie only expanded recently and got themselves a slightly bigger apartment that doesn't only have that one bedroom for themselves but another that they mainly use when Stephanie's parents visit. Jade has never slept there though Stephanie offered it to her.

Christopher takes a deep breath before he turns to his wife. "Can you watch her for the day? I'll talk to my boss and try to get home early and get tomorrow off to look after her."

But he won't be able to just miss a day without notice. He might be able to convince his boss to let him have a day off tomorrow. He hasn't taken any sick day for himself since he has started working there after all. And barely any vacation day.

Stephanie is a wonderful woman and her smile is so pure as if he did something great, though she always is the great person between them: "It's okay. I'm making sure she isn't getting up."

"Thanks," he tells her and they share a short kiss before he calls school to let them know that Jade is sick.

Afterwards he walks into the guest room where Jade has crashed on the bed, her bag carelessly lying between the door and the bed. She hasn't even taken the time to get under the blanket. Or to take her shoes off.

He has barely ever experienced her sick but he knows when she gets sick, it's a quick thing. That's why he only wonders and is angry at his ex wife for a second that she left Jade like this to be on that trip with her boyfriend. But yeah, Jade probably wasn't sick on Saturday. It can only have started Sunday and Jade tried to stop it and now she's almost dead. Not that she whines about it, but she's seriously sick. Her father has witnessed that before when she visited for a few hours when she was ten. She came over being apparently well and when she left, she pretty much looked like this. He thought he'd made some mistake, that he made her sick that way, but without him having to say anything, her mother calmed him down as she picked her up, telling him that Jade got sick that way.

Like he does.

Him coming inside the room doesn't even make her perk up. He informs her that he called school. "You're staying here for now."

"Fine," she responds, then: "I need clothes though. And a toothbrush."

"Right," he says. He hasn't thought of that. Well, he's sure they have a spare toothbrush. But she should dress more comfortable than she does right now, being sick and all. And as he won't let her leave in this state, she'll definitely stay the night and will need a change of clothes and everything.

He feels queasy just thinking about it. He can't roam through her closet at home. He can't touch his daughter's underwear. He feels too weird about it, though he knows he shouldn't. He would tell himself that he also changed her diapers back in time, so what's he on about now, but he actually never did change them. Jade's mother always did.

Maybe she'll let Stephanie get her her clothes though?

"How about you give Stephanie your house key and she'll get you some clothes? She'll otherwise stay with you for the day."

"Ugh," Jade only makes. Christopher takes that as her agreeing.

"I'm gonna be home soon," he tells her.

First he thinks she won't answer, until: "Whatever."

Somehow he feels like it's not 'whatever' to her.

.

.

He comes home in the afternoon, roughly two hours earlier than usual. And he striked up a deal with his boss that he'll work overtime every day next week to get tomorrow and the day after off. So he can be around his sick daughter, which is good as Stephanie also will have to work those days and Jade therefore would have to be alone otherwise.

He already smells that there's some sort of soup cooking when he walks through the door. He expects to see his wife standing at the stove as he walks further into the apartment. Instead he finds that weird boy with his too long sort of hair.

"Hello," the boy greets.

Christopher doesn't offer a greeting back. "What you are doing here?"

What's he doing in his apartment, alone in the kitchen, apparently cooking soup? Who even let him in?

Beck is the boy's name. And he's one of those good for nothing types. Christopher doesn't know how he's doing in school but he knows boys like these. He knows he's objectively good looking and guys like that usually don't go for any more. Their good looks are enough to get them through life and that's why they never acquire any more skills.

This boy must be like that. And then he wants to be an actor of all things. Of course he does. That's the type of person he is.

And Christopher is sure that this Beck kid is only together with Jade because of her very own looks. As if a guy like this could ever appreciate how smart and wonderful Jade is. He wants to be part of a good looking couple and that's all there is. Christopher is sure.

He hasn't said anything to Jade about it. They fight enough and heck, yes, he knows Jade is smart. This is her first love and why not let her enjoy it until she realizes what an idiot this kid is?

But now this boy is back in his apartment. Great.

"Making soup for Jade," Beck answers. "Your wife stepped out to take a walk with the dog and to get more tea for Jade as you guys ran out. Jade didn't eat anything up until now but finally said she's hungry, so I looked through your cupboars and found this can."

He points at the empty can. Great, he even went through their cupboards.

Christopher has half in mind to throw him out but... Jade must've texted him and she'll be angry with Christopher if he throws him out. Jade is sick and shouldn't get mad at all right now. Not to mention that it is a good thing that someone stayed with Jade in the apartment while Stephanie now walked the dog and bought more tea if that's what Jade needs. And that someone is making Jade something to eat.

Christopher nods curtly before he walks to the guest room without another word.

The door is wide open and Jade is wrapped up in a blanket. There is no TV in the guestroom but Jade propped up her laptop on the dresser where she can see it from the bed when she's turned in that direction. Some movie is running on it.

"How are you feeling?" he checks.

She rolls over as if she wasn't able to only turn her head to look at him. "Shitty," she answers.

He can see that. She honestly looks the part.

"I see Beck is over," he says. Maybe he should ask him to leave.

"He came right after school," Jade says. "I told him to stay away to not get infected."

He sees her shrug, the whole blanket moving.

And she's glad about him still coming though she told him not to. Otherwise she would've thrown him out, being able to be harsh even as sick as she is right now, he knows.

Well, then he should stay. He'll probably get bored anyway. It's not like Jade can entertain him at all in her state.

He should just make sure she's okay. He makes a gesture to the laptop. "Did Stephanie get everything for you?"

She didn't have her laptop with her this morning. Now that he comes to think about it, he doesn't even think it's their blanket she's wrapped into. And there's a small suitcase in the corner of the room.

"I made her drive me home, so I could get my things myself," she responds.

He doesn't like to hear that. She shouldn't have gotten up for that. He should talk to Stephanie about that. As sick as Jade is, she shouldn't have gotten out at all.

Though he knows how Jade can be and maybe, Stephanie hadn't really had a choice.

Christopher wants to tell Jade off for a moment but then Beck stucks his head into the room: "Mr. West? Do you have anything on which I can serve Jade the soup?"

"I can also get up," Jade says before Christopher can answer.

She's in the process of sitting up but Beck quickly says: "No, stay in bed, please."

Jade pulls a face but doesn't get further up than sitting.

And Christopher understands the problem. You shouldn't hand her hot soup. The bowl will get hot too and impossible to hold and she can't keep it in her lap without that getting burned and... yeah. She needs to have something to put it on, if only on a tray so the hot bowl won't be directly on her lap.

As they do have a tray, he leaves the room, passing by Beck, waving for him to follow which the boy does.

Beck has already gotten a bowl and a spoon and now fills the bowl up while Christopher gets him the tray.

.

.

Beck takes care of the rest and Christopher decides to make himself comfortable in the living room, while Beck vanishes back into the guestroom to Jade.

Christopher doesn't have long to brood over how much he disagrees with all of this when Stephanie comes back with their dog.

Both are happy to see him. Christopher pets the dog and kisses Stephanie. She has a bag with her that she empties on the kitchen table. She didn't just buy tea but also more soup and a few other things they need.

"Ah, did you make Jade something to eat?" she meanwhile asks, noticing the pot on the stove.

"Beck did," he answers.

Stephanie immediately smiles. "He's such a sweetheart!" She really does think so. She was charmed by him instantly when Jade brought him over a few months ago to introduce him. She wasn't able to see him like Christopher did. She doesn't understand that it's exactly these kind of charming boys that are the ones treating their girlfriends worst.

Christopher believed his daughter could see through such charades. They see people similiarly, he noticed, him and Jade. They have the same sceptism if a person seems too perfect in a way. Not that Beck does. He's a nobody, aspiring tobe successful in a nonsense profession.

But Christopher knows that a lot of people will look at Beck and see a perfect sort of boy. Like Stephanie does. And he would've thought Jade would know better. But she doesn't for some reason.

Stephanie continues, not noticing her husband's jaw hardening: "He helped me get more tea into Jade. We only had three teabags left and I only managed to convince her to drink one cup; he got the other two into her. And with him here, I thought I'd get some more tea and I found some that's supposed to be especially soothing for colds."

Okay, despite her trusting Beck too much and even leaving him all alone in the apartment with Jade with her in a state like this... He loves her so much. She's so thoughtful and obviously only wants the best. Even for his daughter though she never wanted to have children, not even stepchildren.

"Thank you," he therefore only responds.

.

.

Stephanie prepares another tea and hands it to Christopher to bring to Jade while she asks him if he's fine with also eating soup. Beck, so she says, already ate at school and doesn't need anything and the soup should be enough for the two of them with still leaving some more for Jade. She'll make something else for dinner.

Of course he's fine with it, though he doesn't like that it sounds as if Stephanie already offered Beck some food. As if he's welcomed here.

Anyway... He now takes the cup to the guestroom. Beck left the door open again when he brought Jade her lunch which Christopher appreciates. He doesn't care if they are allowed behind closed doors elsewhere – they aren't under his roof.

They are sitting next to each other on the bed and just now, Beck takes the tray from Jade and puts it next to himself on the nightstand. She has emptied the bowl.

"Stephanie told me to bring you this," he tells Jade, walking up to the bed and handing her the cup.

"I will soon barf tea," Jade says, pulling a face, but she accepts the cup.

"It'll do your throat good," Beck says in a gentle voice.

She only makes a grumpy noise and then takes a careful sip.

Good. She's drinking it. And she also seems comfortable otherwise. There's still some movie running on the laptop and she's still wrapped up in that blanket and has a tissue box right next to her.

What else is there left to do for Christopher?

"Do you want more soup?" he checks. If she hasn't eaten up until just now...

She actually nods, so he takes the tray with the bowl with him to get her more.

.

.

The rest of the day goes over quietly. Beck and Jade stay in the guestroom together with Beck coming into the kitchen in between to make her more tea.

Christopher uses the off time to sort through his finance documents before he joins his wife in front of the TV.

Only when it's time for dinner he walks back to the guestroom. He has barely heard anything from it the whole time except one scream that undoubtedly was part of a movie, despite the door being open. Oh, and Jade sneezing extremely loudly a few times.

Now he wants to ask Jade what she wants for dinner, if she's up for something more solid than soup. And he wants to tell Beck to go home.

As he approaches the open door, he hears his daughter's hoarse voice: "I won't be able to sleep."

"Try. At least rest," Beck's voice answers.

And then, he starts singing. It's gentle and quiet and Christopher seems to remember that this is one of those softer songs Jade actually likes.

Christopher steps in the doorway and finds both of the teens turned away from him, Beck's back to the door, him spooning Jade, while he softly sings.

Christopher stops. Maybe he shouldn't disturb if Jade actually is about to sleep. Sleep is always good when you're sick.

Beck's song gets roughly interrupted though, by Jade: "I can't breathe, Beck!"

Christopher doesn't understand, his eyes widening. But Beck promptly sits up and also helps Jade sitting up.

Okay, he understands. Jade's nose is stuffy. Christopher knows that sometimes you can't breathe through your nose when you lie down, while it still works when you sit up.

"Then try sleeping like this," Beck suggests as he leans against the headboard and Jade leans heavily against him.

She sighs and then whispers as her eyes fall close, exhausted: "Sing again."

Beck smiles and turns his head to kiss her hair, before he quietly starts singing again, his eyes never leaving her.

Neither notices Christopher and he decides to leave them alone.

He's weirdly thoughtful as he walks back to the living room.

This good for nothing boy that only took Jade for her looks... She isn't pretty now. Who is when they are sick? But he's still here and the way he just looked at her when she told him to sing for her...

She even gave him permission to stay away, yet he's here. He's... cuddling with her though she's sick and he might get infected. He's trying to take care of her. He tries everything to soothe her. Making her soup, bringing her tea, singing for her...

He wants to be an actor. An artist. He'll never earn enough money to support a family.

But Christopher wants Jade to succeed and earn enough money for herself. He never wants her to need a man. So who cares if he'll never achieve anything? He's not this boy's father.

Maybe they won't even stay together so long that it'll matter. But in any case... it shouldn't matter to Christopher what that boy does. As long as he isn't dragging his daughter down... As long as Jade is happy with him...

He'll never forget the look. The look that Beck gave Jade just now. It's the same that Christopher gets from Stephanie, which he never thinks he deserves. This look full of love and appreciation. Jade deserves that look.

Beck sees. He sees what an amazing person Jade is. And as long as he's able to see and appreciate that, as long as he loves Jade like she deserves and takes cares of her whenever she needs, as long as Jade wants to, they should be together.

Maybe he was wrong about Beck. There's more to him than those good looks. A kind of wisdom, understanding the person Jade is. And a deeply caring side about the people he loves.

For the first time, Christopher understands that Beck loves Jade. For the first time, he is even happy about it.


End file.
